Cap Metro’s Summer Pilot

Kids grades K-12 ride free this summer with Capital Metro, thanks to a service pilot announced Wednesday by the transportation authority. Free rides begin June 8 and will continue through Sept. 1, and presumably could extend beyond that if CEO Randy Clarke and company decide it's seen success. Austin ISD Superintendent Paul Cruz said he hopes kids use it to "safely travel for summer classes, work, or simply to enjoy summer vacation in Austin" – responsibly, we hope. Cap Metro also on Wednesday announced plans to expand its weekend MetroRail service through that same time period, with all-aboards leaving Downtown through 1:45am on Fridays and 2:30am on Saturdays. All-day service will run on three days through the summer: beginning at 10am on June 9, July 7, and Aug. 4.